Mississippi Masala
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD, CLICK TO REVEAL! ⚠️
The film was screened at the Cinema House in the Manarat Al Saadiyat art gallery in Abu Dhabi as part of a new film restoration project. I loved the movie. It’s beautifully captured, with wonderful acting, direction, and cinematography. I really felt like I was transported to the Indian motel in Mississippi, and the scenes set in Uganda were quite emotional.
When it comes to the climax and writing, it wasn’t epic, but it was a feel-good movie. While this is rated very highly—at least on Rotten Tomatoes—perhaps due to my lack of understanding of the historical and cultural context, I could only give it a 3/5. For something to come out like this in 1991, it must have been a big deal. Personally, I prefer in-depth, complex scripts, and this didn’t feel like that. However, it was emotional, especially the scenes where Jay had to leave Uganda, which were well done . I could hear my wife weeping throughout the movie during certain moments!
In terms of performances, everyone did a good job overall. However, Demetrius’s (Denzel’s) family members gave outstanding performances.
Overall, it was a warm, feel-good movie. Though it might not entirely fit the “feel-good” category, it left a comforting warmth behind.